Broccoli is a vegetable that is a part of the Brassicaceae family. This family of vegetables includes kale, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, and several varieties of Asian greens such as bok choy.
The part of the plant that we eat is actually the buds from the broccoli flower. If broccoli is not harvested the head opens up into flowers that are greenish-yellow in color. While most broccoli is green, there are some beautiful and delicious purple variations.
Growing broccoli is very rewarding because it can be started early and will send more shoots for many weeks after the main head is harvested, providing you with a harvest for a long season.
When it comes to growing broccoli, many home gardeners seem to be a bit intimidated about growing broccoli plants in their garden. However, this fear is unfounded as growing broccoli in your home garden is really quite easy as long as you follow a few basic steps.
1. Growing Times
Broccoli is a cold-weather crop. This means that it does not grow well in warmer climates. While broccoli does require a bit more attention and care than growing other types of vegetables, if you do a bit of planning it can be a great cool weather crop.
You should begin your seeds in the latter part of the summer if you are growing the vegetable outdoors. You can also plant broccoli indoors in a cooler spot such as a cellar or a basement. If your local temperature does not go below 20 degrees F, you can grow broccoli outside during the winter months and then harvest the vegetables during the spring months.
It is important to make sure that you remember that broccoli will not grow well in weather that is too hot, so if you are in a subtropical climate, growing broccoli may not be the best choice.